My wife collided with a car that had left his indicator on. Whose to blame?

peter s

sorry but your wife is in the wrong you should always make sure the other driver carries out the manoeuvre first.although let your insurance sort it out with your witness statements

Dragon Empress

Your wife should have waited until all was clear before moving, so I'm afraid she is in the wrong.

Hope she is ok though x

dec g

she is to blame you are supposed to wait until the car is turning the corner before you pull out

Not Ecky Boy

Well, you are an adult , and a guy. If you see a car approaching and he's signalling to turn left, would YOU ever believe his indicator? I'm a motorcyclist and I never believe any indicator. I'd wait till the car actually started to turn before pulling out.

In your wife's case, i guess if the witnesses are reliable, she will have a strong case. Especially if the indicator was STILL on. I think the driver of the other car will be charged.

I bet you end up losing your no claims bonus over this, though. In an accident NOBODY wins. In your position, you need to make sure that your wife feels she is in the right- which she was- and that she is OK. You need to support HER, and "getting" the other driver is a secondary concern.

At the end of the day it's only a car. She's OK, and that's what matters. Sometimes you have to let go. Don't get obsessed with this issue. But I hope the other driver gets charged.

SR13

I remember questioning my driving instructor on that point a loooonnngggg time ago. From what I can remember your wife will probably be blamed. This is because she should wait for the car to slow down and start turning before she pulls out. It is not the other drivers fault as the indicator switch may not have returned to it's original position after the last turn.

Avalon

in the eyes of the law your wife is at fault..you cannot assume they are going to turn even if they had the indicator on

Lucie

Never believe the indicator...She will be found at fault, most likely. I'm sorry, I hope she's O.K., and not too banged up.

Michelle H

Unfortunately, your wife is to blame. Certainly from an insurance point of view. The fact that an indicator is on, does not mean the driver intends to turn - it may be faulty and the driver could be unaware that it is even on. As far as prosecution goes, if anyone was injured then a charge of careless driving could be made.

Please, however, reassure your wife that this is a mistake we all make and she should not beat herself up about it. I am very careful to ensure that a car is slowing down and actually turning before I emerge from a junction - but that is only from experience (as I'm sure your wife will be in the future.)

At the end of the day, accidents happen. C'est La Vie. Best of luck.

bob t

As unfair as it seems your wife is at fault.Irrespective as to whether or not the indicator was on the other car had right of way. the other car could for instance have been indicating he was going to pull in immediately after the junction.Like i said as unfair as you may feel it is your wife at fault

emily_jane2379

Sorry, I agree with her, but I think she would be found to blame. This happened to me on my driving test (I didn't get as far as crashing the car though, I realised what was going on and put my foot down with time to spare) I failed my driving test for this and this alone.

Colin_Waft

However harsh it may be, your wife will probably be seen as the culprit.

This is the reason that I never pull out at junctions until I see the other car start to turn.

lizziebeth

The main fault will be your wife's. When waiting to emerge from a side road you should always wait until it safe, even when a car has a signal on.....never trust the signal until the car has started to make the turn. As driving instructor and see this situation happening so many times, I would advise always wait until you are sure it is safe. Many drivers do not use signals correctly and do not understand the implications of using them incorrectly.

susie x â™¥â™¥â™¥

When you have been driving for a while you learn not presume anything, especially when someone has their indicator on. I dont know what the outcome will be for your wife, on paper it sounds like she should be ok but I dont work for an insurance company and am unsure of legalities.

royster

I understand exactly what you mean from your perfect description, and i am sorry to say that your wife will be found at fault for this. Of course the fact is she fully believed that the car was turning so it safe to move out.
I am sorry to say the direction indicators of the other vehicle will have little or no effect on the outcome.

Take from this that she came home with some twisted metal and not hopefully a twisted unrepairable body. Just understand she will be a better driver now, and she will have gained experience from it .

Cymru lover

erm... i think that she is to blame as she should have assumed that it might not be turning, however the fact that there are two witnesses in support of your wifes claim then she may have some recall.

the crash investigators can check if the indicator was on as the filiment doesn't break as it is hot, had it been off it would have shattered.

q6656303

she is to blame

creviazuk

Legally, it was her fault.

Insurance may try for a 50/50, certainly HER insurance will push for it - the other driver's will go for full blame on her.

Like most people here - I NEVER trust an indicator until they at least start making the manouver.

67ImpalaSS

the main thing is she's ok......if u want a practical answer for insurance purposes. She is at fault, and she is very lucky she has eyewitness. Now if they are independent eyewitnesses then she will at least get an apportionment of blame which is better than being 100% at fault with no indep i/w's....apportionment may be in this case she is 50% at fault...I can't say for sure with no diagram etc and full versions...good luck

schaianne

Unfortunately, she will mostly likely be found at fault. Never believe an indicator...I always wait until the car starts to turn before I pull out. Like someone else said here, they could be signalling for a turn right after the intersection.
Just thank God she's ok, that could have turned out soo badly.

jumpace321

Are you in the UK? This happened to me but I had no witnesses, police came and said that if I could prove the other car was indicating, this would have been a misleading signal which is illegal. I would therefore say, if your wife has witnesses she would have a fairly good case. I don't think the argument about the indicator possibly not going back to the neutral position is good - the driver is still responsible for the signals being given. As others have said though, I now wait til the other person is turning before I pull out from a junction.

Louis C

If she has independent witnesses, she should take it to court, if they try to blame her for this accident. In Manitoba, where I live, the highway traffic act states that the use of signal lights is compulsory....if that is the case, drivers get tickets for not signalling...as well they receive tickets for not turning when they signal to do so. So I suggest that she fight this, if the law or insurance company tries to hold her the least bit at fault. Good luck.

Bealzebub

She is to blame I'm afraid, Indicators are not infallible therefore you should only use them as a guide, not as gospel. If your indicator is on but your still on that road, then until he has physically started turning into another road that was still his road that your wife entered. Therefore she would be responsible.

It's the equivilent of a person talking about leaving a job. If the employer takes on a new member of staff and the employee decides not to leave, the employer cannot force either employee to leave as a result.

Good Deeds

She is, she is suppose to wait until the turn actually happens all the other idiot is guilty of is sheer stupidly. What did the police say. I would still contact a lawyer.

showtimehell

its i bit tricky this one she could be for not waiting to see if he was going to turn its happened to me but i was lucky i didn't hit the other driver on the other he is in the wrong for indicating and not turning i think it would be knock for knock so she should be at fault

Paul

Both are at fault. NEVER trust a blinker.

tracey c

This happened to my sister and when she claimed on her insurance they decided that the blame should be 50-50.

pinkminimoo

The only thing the indicator proves ,is that the bulbs work !! You always have to wait till you see the person starting to turn the corner .I am afraid that it is a case of your wife pulling in front .I hope that everything goes OK ,but it is a lesson that you can never trust anyone else on the road, and you have to drive defensively for your own safety .Good luck x

808fl

50/50
As my instuctor told me years ago if an indicator is working the only thing you can be sure of is the battery is connected and with hand signals you can only be sure the window is open

StingRay

She is to blame. Assume nothing when driving.

tiz

Firstly, I hope that your wife is OK as car accidents are quite traumatic. Secondly, I think you will find that they are both to blame. The other driver should not have left his indicator on but your wife should not have come out of the turning unless she actually saw the wheels turn. There is a technical term for this but I can't remember it, however, it basically means that both will be seen as at fault.

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